# 1989–90 in Scottish football

The 1989–90 season was the 93rd season of competitive football in Scotland.

## Notable events

Rangers won their third league title in four seasons under the management of Graeme Souness.
Aberdeen won their first major honours since the departure of Alex Ferguson, winning a cup double of the Scottish Cup and the League Cup.
Celtic finished the season without winning a trophy, mounting the pressure on manager Billy McNeill.
Rangers abandoned their longstanding signing policy by acquiring Mo Johnston, who was the first high-profile Catholic player to sign for Rangers. Johnston joined Rangers after having come close to rejoining his old club Celtic from French club Nantes. Also arriving at Rangers was the Everton and England winger Trevor Steven, filling the gap on the right wing left by club hero David Cooper, who signed for Motherwell.
Rangers had four players – more than any other club – selected for the England World Cup squad. Goalkeeper Chris Woods, defenders Gary Stevens and Terry Butcher, and winger Trevor Steven helped them reach the semi-finals.

## Scottish Premier Division

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Rangers (C) | 36 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 48 | 19 | +29 | 51 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 36 | 17 | 10 | 9 | 56 | 33 | +23 | 44 | Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round |
| 3 | Heart of Midlothian | 36 | 16 | 12 | 8 | 54 | 35 | +19 | 44 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Dundee United | 36 | 11 | 13 | 12 | 36 | 39 | −3 | 35 | Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round |
| 5 | Celtic | 36 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 37 | 37 | 0 | 34 | |
| 6 | Motherwell | 36 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 43 | 47 | −4 | 34 | |
| 7 | Hibernian | 36 | 12 | 10 | 14 | 34 | 41 | −7 | 34 | |
| 8 | Dunfermline Athletic | 36 | 11 | 8 | 17 | 37 | 50 | −13 | 30 | |
| 9 | St Mirren | 36 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 28 | 48 | −20 | 30 | |
| 10 | Dundee (R) | 36 | 5 | 14 | 17 | 41 | 65 | −24 | 24 | Relegation to the 1990–91 Scottish First Division |
Champions: Rangers Relegated: Dundee

## Scottish League Division One

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | St Johnstone (C, P) | 39 | 25 | 8 | 6 | 81 | 39 | +42 | 58 | Promotion to the Premier Division |
| 2 | Airdrieonians | 39 | 23 | 8 | 8 | 77 | 45 | +32 | 54 | |
| 3 | Clydebank | 39 | 17 | 10 | 12 | 74 | 64 | +10 | 44 | |
| 4 | Falkirk | 39 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 59 | 46 | +13 | 43 | |
| 5 | Raith Rovers | 39 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 57 | 50 | +7 | 42 | |
| 6 | Hamilton Academical | 39 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 52 | 53 | −1 | 41 | |
| 7 | Meadowbank Thistle | 39 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 41 | 46 | −5 | 39 | |
| 8 | Partick Thistle | 39 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 62 | 53 | +9 | 38 | |
| 9 | Clyde | 39 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 39 | 46 | −7 | 35 | |
| 10 | Ayr United | 39 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 41 | 62 | −21 | 35 | |
| 11 | Morton | 39 | 9 | 16 | 14 | 38 | 46 | −8 | 34 | |
| 12 | Forfar Athletic | 39 | 8 | 15 | 16 | 51 | 65 | −14 | 29 | |
| 13 | Albion Rovers (R) | 39 | 8 | 11 | 20 | 50 | 78 | −28 | 27 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 14 | Alloa Athletic (R) | 39 | 6 | 13 | 20 | 41 | 70 | −29 | 25 | Relegation to the Second Division |
* ↑ 2 points deducted
Promoted: St Johnstone Relegated: Albion Rovers, Alloa Athletic

## Scottish League Division Two

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion |
| 1 | Brechin City (C, P) | 39 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 59 | 44 | +15 | 49 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 2 | Kilmarnock (P) | 39 | 21 | 5 | 13 | 67 | 41 | +26 | 47 | Promotion to the First Division |
| 3 | Stirling Albion | 39 | 20 | 7 | 12 | 73 | 50 | +23 | 47 | |
| 4 | Stenhousemuir | 39 | 18 | 9 | 12 | 62 | 53 | +9 | 45 | |
| 5 | Berwick Rangers | 39 | 18 | 5 | 16 | 66 | 57 | +9 | 41 | |
| 6 | Dumbarton | 39 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 70 | 73 | −3 | 40 | |
| 7 | Cowdenbeath | 39 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 58 | 54 | +4 | 39 | |
| 8 | Stranraer | 39 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 57 | 59 | −2 | 38 | |
| 9 | East Fife | 39 | 12 | 12 | 15 | 60 | 63 | −3 | 36 | |
| 10 | Queen of the South | 39 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 58 | 69 | −11 | 36 | |
| 11 | Queen's Park | 39 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 40 | 51 | −11 | 36 | |
| 12 | Arbroath | 39 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 47 | 61 | −14 | 34 | |
| 13 | Montrose | 39 | 10 | 12 | 17 | 53 | 63 | −10 | 32 | |
| 14 | East Stirlingshire | 39 | 8 | 10 | 21 | 34 | 66 | −32 | 26 | |
Promoted: Brechin City, Kilmarnock

## Other honours
### Cup honours

| Competition | Winner | Score | Runner-up | Report |
| Scottish Cup 1989–90 | Aberdeen | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (9 – 8 pen.) | Celtic | Wikipedia article |
| League Cup 1989–90 | Aberdeen | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Rangers | Wikipedia article |
| Youth Cup | Hibernian | 0–0 (a.e.t.)(4 – 2 (Pen.) | Dundee United |
| Junior Cup | Hill of Beath Hawthorn | 1–0 | Lesmahagow |

#### Senior

| Competition | Winner |
| Highland League 1989–90 | Elgin City |
| East of Scotland League | Annan Athletic |
| South of Scotland League | Girvan |

### Individual honours
#### SPFA awards

| Award | Winner | Club |
| Players' Player of the Year | Jim Bett | Aberdeen |
| Young Player of the Year | Scott Crabbe | Heart of Midlothian |

#### SFWA awards

| Award | Winner | Club |
| Footballer of the Year | Alex McLeish | Aberdeen |
| Manager of the year | Andy Roxburgh | Scotland |

## Scotland national team

| Date | Venue | Opponents | Score | Competition | Scotland scorer(s) |
| 6 September 1989 | Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb (A) | Yugoslavia | 1–3 | WCQG5 | Gordon Durie |
| 11 October 1989 | Parc des Princes, Paris (A) | France | 0–3 | WCQG5 | |
| 15 November 1989 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | Norway | 1–1 | WCQG5 | Ally McCoist |
| 28 March 1990 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | Argentina | 1–0 | Friendly | Stewart McKimmie |
| 25 April 1990 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | East Germany | 0–1 | Friendly | |
| 16 May 1990 | Pittodrie, Aberdeen (H) | Egypt | 1–3 | Friendly | Ally McCoist |
| 19 May 1990 | Hampden Park, Glasgow (H) | Poland | 1–1 | Friendly | Maurice Johnston |
| 28 May 1990 | Ta'Qali Stadium, Valletta (A) | Malta | 2–1 | Friendly | Alan McInally (2) |
| 11 June 1990 | Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa (N) | Costa Rica | 0–1 | WCGC | |
| 16 June 1990 | Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa (N) | Sweden | 2–1 | WCGC | Stuart McCall, Maurice Johnston |
| 20 June 1990 | Stadio Delle Alpi, Turin (N) | Brazil | 0–1 | WCGC | |
Key:
* (H) = Home match
* (A) = Away match
* WCQG5 = World Cup qualifying – Group 5
* WCGC = World Cup – Group C